SB153 - Record Expungement Designed to Enhance Employment and Eliminate Recidivism (REDEEMER) Act

• Expands eligibility for criminal record expungement to include convictions of misdemeanor offenses, traffic violations, municipal ordinance violations, and certain felony offenses, in addition to dismissed and acquitted charges.

• Requires three years to have passed from conviction date before filing for expungement of misdemeanor offenses, with additional restrictions excluding violent offenses, sex offenses, offenses involving moral turpitude, and serious traffic offenses.

• Allows expungement of felony convictions only after receiving a certificate of pardon with restoration of civil and political rights from the Board of Pardons and Paroles, plus 180 days passage and exclusions for violent and sex offenses.

• Increases the administrative filing fee from $300 to $500, with distributions to the State Judicial Administrative Fund, Department of Forensic Sciences, district attorney's office, circuit court clerk, Public Safety Fund, county law enforcement, State General Fund, and Education Trust Fund.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.